Gray's Black And Tan
Gray Brewing Company

 

 

I tried a bottle and was pleasantly surprised. It poured a reddish, copper color with a medium head. Found it very well-balance and flavorful. Tasted rich, nutty, malty, and was both sweet and bitter. Reminded me of a Scottish ale or porter. Would buy it again.

Appearance- Brown-amber with about 1 inch head
Smell- slightly nutty
Taste- amber-ish, nutty, slight bitter bouquet
Mouthfeel- clean with a pine aftertaste, great
Drinkability- great, could be a good session beer

Overall a pretty great beer. I wouldn't say it actually tastes like a black and tan, but I wouldn't hold it against it. Tastes more like Newcastle with an amber infusion. Good stuff!

Clear, brownish-amber in hue, it is a lovely color, quite shinny too. The head was beige in color, quite foamy, at the apex the head reached two fingers in height. The retention was decent; it rapidly faded to a foamy residue that lasted the entire consumption. The subsequent lacing was basically none. The nose has its moments; the potency really isn’t that loud. It took some hard sniffs to really get what the bouquet was saying. I could detect some coffee notes, light chocolate hints, caramel dashes, and roast. I assume the roast create the astringent notes I smell. There is an odd metal undercurrent but I can get past it. The smells are decent. I’m not sold… yet? I must admit bottled Black & Tans are lame and not a style. The taste of Gray’s doesn’t do much to persuade me to say otherwise. In a word the palate is good. Nothing great and far from noteworthy, the maltiness is very modest and kind of weak, if not overly slick. There is nothing to sink my teeth into, the roasty flavors are small, and so are the coffee and chocolate. These are really the only flavors of significance. This beer falls apart at the finish, in a major way. It becomes slippery with a lager-like cleanliness and some distant hops that try to add a grassy flavor. It is not working. The fact the mouthfeel is so damn watery and the carbonation is so damn low only hurts the palate. Light in body. I can’t say this beer is offensive, I can say it is bland and thus pointless to drink. Enough said. I purchased one bottle in Iowa City for $1.30. That is enough for me.

Yes, bottled "Black and Tans" are largely an abomination. There is no real reason for something like this to exist.

Or is there?

Dark bronze with a faded beige cap.
Roasty nose, underpinned with honey and nuts, cut by metal flowers.
With nothing else to rely on, I'd label this a Brown ale- and a very good one. Roasted hues up front. Minor ebbs of bitter chocolate, and larger surges of burnt nuts and skins. Vacates midway. Honey-tinged bready malts appear. Ends with a few floral hop uppercuts. Actually, for the "style", the hops are plenty forceful.
Light bodied, but not without structure or merit. Intergration is a major asset, as everything seems in its place.
And it's just ridiculously drinkable.

If I want one, I'll usually mix it myself, but as far as prefabricated B&Ts go, this is right near the top of the heap.

12 oz brown longneck, with a different & interesting label. Is that a monkey or a beaver on the tree?

Beer pours a dark, dark brown. Not a ton of head.

Beer smells like roasted malt and fresh biscuits with a bit of alcohol thrown into boot.

Nice roasted malt on the first sip. The “black” stout part of this beer is what I notice first. However, by the third sip, I’m getting a small hop bite from the “tan” part. As I drink more, the stout reasserts it’s self. Beer seems to be well balanced and made with quality ingredients.

Smooth beer with a nice mouthfeel. Drinkabilty is above average. This brewery seems to really put out some quality products.

Very dark brown; light comes through red. Gray's Black and Tan resembled a stout from a distance and a deep red ale up close.

Strong caramel brown ale notes on the nose with an enticing chocolate background.

Medium bodied, this ale strikes with a stunning taste; a real surprise and pleasure. I'm reminded of great mild porters -- even Fuller's London -- and fruity pale and light brown ales. The delicate hopping is a nice touch. By and large, this is a porter, but complex beyond my wildest dreams. Floral hop and chocolate finish.

Beer is a right. This is a privilege.

Relax, relax.
ng

Pours very dark, but has a hint of redness to it, when held to a light. Heavy malt presence in both the aroma and taste. This beer starts heavy on the tongue, but finishes with a smooth follow through. Not bitter at all. A very nice after dinner beer.